Australian Catholics film critics Peter Malone and Peter W Sheehan both chose Australian movie The Drover’s Wife and Belfast in their top three picks for the year.
The Drovers Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson. Starring, directed and scripted by Leah Purcell this film is based on an 1892 short story, ‘The Drover’s Wife’ written by Australian Henry Lawson, about a lonely woman, Molly Johnson (Purcell), who leads an isolated existence on an outback farm in Northern Australia. This ambitious movie is formatted in Western style, and is anchored to an excellent performance by Leah Purcell. The film becomes a revealing reimagination of past events from both an Indigenous and a white perspective. It offers a harsh depiction of unjust treatment of Indigenous peoples in the late 19th, century, and provides a powerful account of how Indigenous people have been terribly mistreated. The film intensifies violence as it proceeds, and with the help of competing narrative plot-lines, it becomes a multi-layered story with wide racial sweep. In the film, Leah Purcell cements her reputation as an exceptional talent having written, directed, and taken the lead role in an outstanding Australian film. – Peter W Sheehan
Molly is a force to be reckoned with even as she is victimised – a fierce indictment of macho arrogance of the 19th century male (and all who are descended from these 19th-century migrants will be alarmed at these aspects of their heritage). Which means that many audiences will see this as a late 19th century, early 20th century Me#Too stand for women and their rights, condemnation of male violence and brutality. This is made especially strong in the final sequences, perhaps dramatically unnecessary – or too explicit, but nevertheless, thematically relevant, then and now. – Peter Malone
Belfast: Starring Judi Dench and others, and directed by Kenneth Branagh, this Irish-British film is a coming-of-age drama that focuses on a young boy, Buddy, who lives with his parents and grandparents in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The film is semi-autobiographical in tone, and focuses heavily on Buddy’s childhood. The title of the film is the city of Branagh’s birth, and the film is set in 1969 during the height of the conflicts and skirmishes between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland. This film stresses the power of memory for traumatic events of the past. It is filled with warm human and comic touches, despite the trauma of the times and the political conflicts that the film is otherwise exploring. The film never understates the violence of the political turmoil in Belfast, and it offers a powerful testimonial to family solidarity and togetherness that is bias-free. – Peter W Sheehan
Belfast is a heartfelt story – and is dedicated at the end to those who stayed, to those who left, to those who lost their lives in The Troubles. The story is told in strong black-and-white, bursting into colour only when the family go to the pictures.Young Jude Hill embodies the young boy perfectly. We see everything through his eyes, feel everything through his feelings. Life is exciting, going to school, the Catholic girl across the street. He lives at home. His Pa works over in England, returning home fortnightly, raising the possibility that they should move to England, something his strong wife, Ma is against, settled at home with relatives and friends. And, continual backup from Pop (Ciaran Hinds) and Granny (Judi Dench). Branagh’s screenplay, however, has several moments advocating peace and understanding, especially in some wonderful scenes where Buddy has enjoyable conversations with Pop and, later, conversations with Granny. Branagh has not forgotten his roots. – Peter Malone
PETER MALONE MSC
Australian Catholics film critic
THE BOMBARDMENT
Netflix
The Bombardment, is a true story set in Denmark, Copenhagen, in March 1945, almost at the end of WWII. It focuses on an RAF bombing mission that accidentally targets a school full of children. It is a harrowing film. The tone is vividly set – three young women happily off to a wedding, a benign old taxi driver – then a plane swooping out of the sky and strafing the car killing them all. A young boy, Henry, riding his bike, delivering cartons of eggs, overwhelmed, traumatised, from then on unable to speak. There is much more grief, furthering our harrowing. There is a focus on a girls’ school, the sisters on the staff and a German collaborator. Characters are well defined. The plot is ready for the central action. The Germans occupy a large building in central Copenhagen and the resistance are requesting the RAF to bomb it, even if some of their members are in cells immediately under the roof. We see the preparations, the planning by the RAF, three squads, setting out for the bombing, the first reaching its target. Then the school is bombed. From then on, the drama is vivid, highly dramatic, tragic, there is a listing of all those who are killed, especially the names of the children.
PETER W SHEEHAN
Australian Catholics film critic
NOWHERE SPECIAL
Starring James Norton, and directed, written, and produced by Uberto Pasolini, this Italian, Romanian and British drama is inspired by true events. The film is based on the director’s distilling of factual reports about a father who went looking for a foster home for his young son, after he was told he had a terminal illness. It targets the difficulties a parent faces when he or she has to explain what will happen when they can no longer be there to look after their child, and how their child’s life will change. The film makes it perfectly clear that demonstration of a parent’s overarching love is paramount. The film is scripted carefully and intelligently. It explores the morality of good fatherhood in a simple and straightforward way, and it movingly examines the conflicts that potentially could explode in situations that are emotionally charged. This is a poignant movie that tackles fatherhood in an insightful and moving way.
ANDREW HAMILTON
Jesuit Communications editorial consultant
FALLING FOR FIGARO
If, like me, you sometimes want a break from Covid, interest rates, elections, floods and real life, and are a sucker for Mozart’s music, Scottish Highlands scenery and pubs with names like The Filthy Pig, then Falling for Figaro is your kind of movie. Millie who has a well-paid job in a finance company, decides to take a year’s leave from real life to become an opera singer. At the end of the year she wants to win the Singers of Renown Competition. She applies to train in a remote Scottish village under Meagan Bishop, a retired, suitably eccentric and outrageously demanding music teacher. One there she stays at The Filthy Pig, a café, pub and one-town social media site where judgment on all is passed. In persuading Meagan to take her on she earns the ire of Meagan’s long-term, going-nowhere, smouldering student Max. Predictably, Meagan warms to the task, Millie and Max warm to one another while singing arias from the Marriage of Figaro, the Filthy Pig become a fan-club and they both enter the competition with surprising but heart-warming results for all concerned. And we are awash in the beauty of Scotland and of the music.
MICHAEL MCVEIGH
Jesuit Communications head of publications
RRR
I love superhero movies and TV shows, but there’s become something formulaic about Marvel and DC, the two studios responsible for most of the comic heroes we’ve seen on our screens this last year. In many ways, they’re the McDonald’s of media – offering something dependable and enjoyable for the masses, but without taking major risks, or indulging too much in politics, that might alienate sections of the market. RRR, directed by SS Rajamouli, shows what a superhero film can achieve if it’s freed from any such constraint.
Set in India during British colonial rule, the film’s two major characters are based (loosely) on key figures in the independence movement – Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Rama Rao). But as you’ll see in just the opening 10 minutes, the two men in this film are not just regular humans – they’re super-powered action heroes.
The film is three hours long, but it’s so packed with action and drama, with so many well-executed story turns, that not a moment feels wasted. There’s even a clean intermission break halfway for those who want to take it in slowly. RRR is not only the most enjoyable viewing experience I had this year, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen in many years.
STRANGER THINGS
Netflix
Already a massive hit for Netflix, Stranger Things went even bigger with its fourth season. All but one of the nine episodes are more than 75 minutes long, and the finale itself goes for two-and-a-half hours. The story also expands, following three different storylines in separate locations. While some of it does feel extraneous, the story is compelling enough to justify the time investment for viewers.
This season the central group of characters are teenagers, struggling with teenage concerns – as well as more supernatural ones. There’s a central mystery about a being named Vecna who’s targeting young people in town, and (inspired by real life panic about Dungeons and Dragons and other youth subcultures in the 1980s) the community places the blame for these attacks on an innocent local youth. Our heroes, of course, know better, and set out to find and stop the real culprit.
If you love ’80s music, or even if you remember how crucial and personality-defining music can be when you’re a teenager, you’ll get a kick out of the important role it plays in the story (especially the Kate Bush song ‘Running Up That Hill’). Stranger Things continues to manage to be both a fun nostalgia trip, and a beautiful (if somewhat frightening) story about friends growing up together.
ANDOR
Disney+
There have been a LOT of new Star Wars productions on our screens in recent years. For someone like me, it’s fantastic. I’d happily watch two hours of paint drying if it was happening on the wall of a Death Star control room. Sadly, for other less obsessed viewers, many of the recent Star Wars productions haven’t aimed for much more than that in their storytelling (I’m looking at you, Book of Boba Fett).
Then comes Andor, which (shock) actually has a story to tell. More than that, it has something to say that actually speaks not only to our human experience, but also to the current state of politics and society. It tells the story of the early days of the Rebel Alliance, and how Cassian Andor (played brilliantly by Diego Luna) becomes involved in their mission to overthrow the Empire. But despite its title, Andor is an ensemble production. Following multiple storylines and characters, the show superbly illustrates how a fascist dictatorship maintains its power – not through powerful technological terrors or mystic Dark Side forces, but with the complicit support of everyday people.
‘Rise’ is a word that is often repeated in this series (much like ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ is repeated through the previous Star Wars movies), and the last few episodes have some of the most eloquent and beautiful political monologues I’ve seen in science fiction. In a world where strongmen continue to loom over politics, and fascists become more active and networked on social media, Andoris rousing viewing. It’s worth a watch even if you’ve never been into this ‘Star Wars’ thing up to now.
DAVID HALLIDAY
Eureka Street editor
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
At the outset, this unlikely sequel was far better than it should have been. Despite a strong script by Christopher McQuarrie and direction by Joseph Kosinki, Maverick’s success was never a sure thing. But its release was perfectly timed coinciding with the end of Covid lockdowns and widespread Marvel fatigue and is now one of the highest grossing films of all time.
After a career marked by reckless rule-breaking, Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is adrift, weary and cynical. Much like the test aircraft he crashes in the opening 15 minutes, his naval career is in pieces when he receives orders to return to Top Gun to train a group of cocky young aviators for a mission to destroy a munitions factory in an unnamed eastern European state.
In an era of CG overload, Cruise and director Kosinski opt for verisimilitude via real air sequences in actual F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, much to the chagrin of actors straining under the weight of huge G forces.
Beneath the steely exterior is a strong emotional core, with Cruise delivering a career best performance struggling to earn the trust of his students. Val Kilmer makes a touching return as Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky. The supersonic aerial sequences are gripping, but the characters make this film succeed.
SEVERANCE
Apple TV
Weird in the same way that the work of Charlie Kaufman is weird, Severance burst onto screens early in 2022 fully formed, feeling completely original and relatable at once. The premise is deceptively simple: Adam Scott plays Mark, an office worker at Lumon, a mysterious global corporation that requires employees’ memories be split in two. In the office, Mark is a likeable dag with no memory of his life on the outside. At home, he is a grief-stricken loner with no memory of the office, beyond receiving a paycheck.
In an era where work-life boundaries are porous, Severance raises questions about the literal meaning of the work/life divide and the ethical implications of a workplace having employees with no knowledge of the outside world. We don’t know what Lumon is hiding, but we know it’s not good.
In a sub-genre that might be called dystopian office sci-fi, Severance is anchored by a pitch-perfect performance from Adam Scott who strafes the line between drama and comedy. Director Ben Stiller and creator Dan Erickson take the material in unexpected directions and the season one cliff-hanger finale will have you yelling at the television. Apple TV has made some bold choices with its entrance into streaming, and Severance has paid off already boasting legions of devotees awaiting the next season.
THE STRANGER
Netflix
Based on one of Australia’s biggest ever manhunts, The Stranger is a fictionalised interpretation of the police operation hunting the killer of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered in 2003.
The film opens on drifter Henry Teague (Sean Harris) who meets a man on a bus who makes a shady offer of employment. Henry meets Mark (Joel Edgerton), who introduces Henry to a crime syndicate supposedly shunting drugs around the country. Despite Edgerton looking and acting every bit the cop, Henry doesn’t realise his new friend is an undercover police officer tasked with investigating him, the primary suspect in the murder of a child eight years earlier.
As the sting operation grinds on, both men seek to earn one another’s trust without letting their own lies slip. Henry seeks refuge and employment, Mark seeks a confession. The drama hinges on the tension experienced by Mark as he maintains a close friendship with a man who has committed unspeakable crimes.
The quiet and eerie tone will be familiar to viewers of Australian crime drama. It’s a slow burn that cares nothing for motive nor killer psychology. Violence is only ever hinted at. Harris delivers a chilling and understated performance that commands the screen, eliciting both pity and revulsion from the viewer. More unsettling than enjoyable.
LAURA KINGS
Australian Catholics assistant editor – education and youth
ENOLA HOLMES 2
Netflix
Why not mix a rom-com with feminist nostalgia and detective tropes? Enola Homes 2 is a wonderful mix of the best and worst of mainstream filmmaking and sequels. So, of course, I loved it. Millie Bobby Brown stars as teenage sister to famous Victorian sleuth Sherlock (Henry Cavill). I empathised with idealistic young feminist Enola as a looming romantic match left her reluctant to surrender her hard-fought independence. I particularly enjoyed Enola’s mother introducing the radical notion of making friends and accepting help from others to her daughter and protege moments after a wagon chase where the pair lobbed home-made explosives at pursuers. I appreciated a protagonist reluctant to take on more when her beloved detective business is failing through no fault of her own. Hardcore feminists will rail against the way the film glosses over the hideous deformities and dreadful cancers inflicted on the real life ‘phossy girls’ by their employers, but at least it brings the importance of the labour movement and women’s rights to a mainstream audience. Don’t expect much. Best enjoyed with wine and chocolates on a Saturday night.
AGENT HAMILTON
SBS On Demand
If you put James Bond and Jason Bourne in a blender, add naiveté and subtitles, you get Swiss series Agent Hamilton. The second season, loosely based on Jan Gillou’s books, screens on SBS On Demand and builds the first series’ big production values, while downplaying realism and character development. There’s also a change from a single plot to a series of unrelated incidents. The story is less plausible, but the characters retain their flaws. Hamilton (Jakob Oftebro) is an atypical lone action hero with a dark past, because he routinely misses the big picture and is distracted by a search for romantic connection. It’s unclear whether the Swiss secret service wins, or just lives to fight on. Other characters refer to Hamilton’s talent, but he really couldn’t do it without a cast of strong women with demons, not least of all Kristin Ek (Nina Sanjani), to support and undermine him. It’s a shame to see Hamilton’s demented mother and Kristin’s sexual confusion omitted, and I should have seen the patriarchal twist coming, but I do love a bite-sized blockbuster action perfect for weeknight viewing.
DC LEAGUE OF SUPERPETS
This is the type of film you want to watch on a family cinema visit. The American 3D computer-animated comedy is based on the DC Comics superhero team, the Justice League, cleverly introducing the franchise to younger audiences by focussing on Superman's relationship with his dog, Krypto. Not unlike a child dreading a parent starting a new relationship, Krypto fears being forgotten by Superman after he becomes engaged to Lois Lane. Of course, this isn't the only complication and Krypto is called on to save the fictional city of Metropolis by banding together with his own league of animal heroes. In the process, he learns an important lesson about relationships. Not known for concise storytelling, this film improves on DC/Warner Bros recent box office offerings for adults. It is generally a safe choice for sensitive children despite the loud soundtrack and mildly violent action sequences. Parents: prepare to end up buying Superhero merchandise after viewing. This film is an age-appropriate offering for pre-K and primary-school aged children who would like to know more about vintage superheroes. Overall, the humour targets all ages and parents won't be rolling their eyes with boredom during this one.
MICHELE FRANKENI
Australian Catholics editor
The LOST CITY/MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS
I’m cheating on the rules for this round-up (three entries max) but these were the only two movies that tempted me into the cinemas this past year and, despite being set in different time periods, they have a similar feel-good vibe. Mrs Harris (Lesley Manville) is a 1950s London char lady who falls in love with a Dior dress belonging to her employer and indulges in a dream to buy one, while modern-day reclusive romantic author Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock) gets swept up in a jungle adventure. Each movie has luscious scenery, a not too challenging growth arc for the main characters, some not too evil bad guys, some romance, and a mix of humour and pathos. In short, the movies are perfect light escapism for when the world’s problems get too real.
WEDNESDAY
Netflix
Wednesday was a late entry to Netflix’ 2022 catalogue, but it was well worth the wait. Wednesday Addams (yes, from that Addams family) gets expelled from her local high school when she takes revenge on a group of boys for bullying her younger brother – the privilege of torturing Pugsley belongs to her only. Gomez and Morticia send Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) to their alma mater Nevermore Academy, a school for the spooky and the kooky. Even at this school for weirdos, Wednesday stands out for her keep-away personality. While negotiating the trials of teenage angst, fitting in, making friends, or not, Wednesday sets about solving some mysterious deaths. And though Wednesday would despise this comparison, the mystery aspect and the fact that Nevermore is set in a fictional New England small town means there is more than a little Murder She Wrote aesthetic to the series.
THE NEWS
ABC/SBS and commercial channels
Despite the self-important punditry, mistakes and missteps, the work of the news teams around the world have been invaluable. For all the talk of citizen journalist and the fact anyone can access stories anytime anywhere, free and relatively unbiased legacy media (print, radio, TV) has an important role in democratic societies. In Australia the cameras have shown us the devastation of climate change with the flooding along the East Coast. Elections, royal commissions, foreign diplomatic negotiations and major sports events have been well documented. Overseas, there have been dispatches from war zones, coverage of protests, politics, famine and pandemic. If the news can’t be good, it’s still good that we have free and easy access to the news.
To keep up to date with the latest movie releases, see the Australian Catholics website for more information.